Train Wreck, 1893

Dallas Morning News

June 20, 1893

A Frightful Crash at Caddo, I. T, But No Loss of Life

The North-bound Train Strikes the South-bound

As it is Taking a Siding, Several Cars Are Wrecked

Caddo, I. T., June 19- A destructive wreck occurred here this evening. The world’s fair flyer, No. 6, ran into the south-bound cannon ball, No. 5, at 3:15 this evening as No. 5 was taking the siding. The trains did not stop here. As No. 6 was an hour late, No. 5 had orders to take the siding for No. 6 which it was doing, but instead of coming in on the siding at the lower end of the switch, it pulled up to cut off and before it had time to get in the clear No. 6, at the rate of about thirty miles an hour, came crashing into it, striking the rear end of the smoker, derailing it, then striking the chair car, telescoping it and throwing it in the ditch on its side, knocking off both trucks. Then striking the sleeper on the corner, it pushed the sleepier some seventy-five yards up the track before it came to a stop. The engine on the north-bound train was considerably damaged, the whole front being torn off.

Fortunately no one was seriously injured. Sleeping Car Conductor Chamberlain has a bad gash about the face and a negro porter had his left arm broken. There were the only ones hurt.

Policeman Bohanan was on the chair car which was derailed. He received several injuries. He had to climb out of one of the top windows after the coach had turned over.

The two fast trains which collided were just put on yesterday and this was their second trip. The south-bound train being made up at Parson and being a new train, there were no passengers in the chair car or sleeper or the casualties would have been fearful. The wreck was cleared up at 6:15 and all trains which were delayed are passing new coaches for No. 5. Were brought from Denison to take the place of those demolished in the wreck.

Another account- Quite a bad wreck occurred on the side track here at 3:15 p. m. The north and south bound world’s fair flyers had orders to meet here. The northbound flyer was one hour late and came in at the rate of forty miles an hour. It was in charge of Conductor Chambers, Engineer Smith, and Fireman M. P. Kilderry. The southbound flyer was in charge of Conductor Geo. Seales, Engineer F. J. Furman, and Fireman McNully. The southbound was taking the siding when the northbound came in at a high rate of speed before the southbound had cleared the rack, striking the rear end of the smoker, upsetting the chair car and turning it over on its side and running into the front end of the Wagner sleeper, tearing it into splinters. Fortunately no one was killed.

E. A. Chamberlain, sleeping car conductor on the southbound was badly hurt about his mouth and nose, and his porter, T. W. Price, had his right shoulder stove up and his arm broken. They were the only ones in the sleeper.

United States Indian Police Ed Bohanan and John Pierce were the only persons in the chair car when it turned over, but neither of them was hurt.

After a delay of three hours the main track was cleared and the trains pulled out. The engineer and fireman escaped by jumping from the engine before it ran into the train. The engine on the northbound flyer is a complete wreck, also the sleeper, chair car and smoker on the south bound. They are all here now on the sidetrack. New engines and coaches were brought up from Denison before the train could leave. Had it been the northbound train that had been run into the result would have been quite different as it contained forty-nine passengers while the southbound did not have over a dozen.

It is hard to tell where the fault lies as the crew on the northbound thought the other train was clear and did not discover that it was not until it was about 300 feet away, when the throttle was reversed and the air brakes brought into use. It will take all day tomorrow to get the track cleared.

Denison- Wrecker Sent Out- The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas northbound train No. 6 and the world’s fair flyer, came in from the south about one hour late today. It left for the north at 2:30 o’clock this evening instead of 1:30, its regular time. The delay was occasioned by the tender leaving the track north of Dallas a few miles. The regular passing point for the two fast trains is Peck Siding, the second station north of Caddo, I. T., some thirty to thirty-five miles north of Denison. Owing to the delay of No. 6, No. 5 was given orders to run on to Caddo and there take siding for No. 6. No. 5 was pulling into the siding at Caddo and all of the train except the two sleepers had cleared the main line. No. 6 making up lost time and had right of way. It came around the long curve south of Caddo and plowed into the two sleepers, knocking them off the track. No person was fatally injured. One of the sleeper porters was bruised up considerable and Peter Smith, the engineer on the northbound engine No. 276 together with his fireman was quite badly shaken up. The wrecker was sent north a few minutes after the accident and in two hours the track was clear and the trains were on their journeys.

Sherman- The report that Shermanites in the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas collision at Caddo, I. T. were injured has been refuted.